sunset from behind the wire

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Yes, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea takes itself very seriously. And while the rest of the world views it more or less like a large leper colony, the Kim Dynasty shuffles on.

What have all of the histrionics of the last month accomplished? Essentially the DPRK has announced that it is a nuclear state and they enacted a law that makes it illegal to discuss nuclear disarmament. The announcement that nuclear weapons are a cornerstone of it's public policy also help them with budgeting. The best guess is that the army is exhausted and they intend to construct a lot more nuclear weapons so that they can stand down some of the infantry and turn them into full time peasants.

There have been personnel changes as well. Two senior military officers who resisted the moves (above) were purged from the National Defense Commission and the Minister of the People's Security was replaced.

Pak Pong Ju (yes the guys's name, not an old computer game) has been named premier. Pak is a favorite of Chang Song Taek, Kim's uncle, and Kim Kyong Hui, Chang's wife and the sister of the late Kim Chong-il, who now are telling the fat young Kim Jong Un (Dear Leader) what to do.

Pak once was a deputy to Kim Kyong Hui in the Light Industry Ministry. He also is an associate of Chang and reported to be a member of his group of economic technocrats. Six or so years ago as premier, Pak is reputed to have pushed for an hourly wage system in North Korea and for laws protecting the rights of corporations. Kim Chong-il sacked Pak in 2007 and sent him to manage a cement plant.

The winter military build up is now over and the DPRK is transitioning to planting season as things outside of the headlines return to normal and they start building more and better nuclear weapons to sell to other rogue states for hard cash.

On 1 April the government convened the seventh session of the 12 Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) in Pyongyang, which means that the threats of going to war are over, even though the whole DPRK image building exercise is still being carried by the Western Press.

"The soldiers here have returned to barracks following the end of a spell spent underground. They are now reviewing the year's winter training, while soldiers are also being permitted to go outside their bases….The market here is operating normally, with rice hovering at around the 6800 won level. Farmers are also out there preparing to get started on agriculture, without evacuation or tunnel exercises getting in the way."

(Nightwatch) All three Kims now have used the threat of war to cover their achievement of controversial domestic issues without US interference, as well as to advance international issues. The leadership's willingness to pay such costs measures its continuing inability to gauge accurately Allied reaction, after 60 years.

The North's manipulation of combat readiness measures does not mean it was bluffing. The cost of the civilian mobilization and the increased military readiness steps establish that the North genuinely was prepared to go to general war, but had not made the final decision. Uncertain about the US response, they prepared for the worst.

Today is April 1 and in honor of the day LuckyGunner.com has come out with depleted uranium drone loads:

Big Brother is watching, and with modern technology, if Big Brother can see it, he can turn it into a giant smoking crater with just the press of a button. Even your secret remote wilderness bunker is no match for today’s military drones. In partnership with Tacnition Ammo, Lucky Gunner is happy to introduce a new way for you to fight back against the All Seeing Eye with our new anti-drone shotgun loads.

Years of research and development have gone into these highly effective 12 gauge shells that can turn even Joe Biden’s double barrel shotgun into an instant anti-aircraft platform. Specially formulated propellant is capable of launching 9 pellets of depleted uranium rounds up to 1 km straight up into the air. With accurate shot placement, this armor piercing buckshot will disable vital systems on modern military drones. At minimum, the force of impact will disable navigation systems, but in over 60% of our field tests, the drones were incapable of remaining airborne after contact with our Anti-Drone Loads.

Yes, they'll take out a drone at 1 km straight up - but how are they on high flying geese?

Housekeeping

As of January 1, 2017 this blog began to receive anonymous posts. I try not to delete them, but if you want to be taken seriously here, you need to identify yourself, if only by some sort of cryptonym.

Welcome to Virtual Mirage

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad."

"How do you know I'm mad," asked Alice?

"You must be," said the cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

Good Morning

Virtual Mirage - What's on the other side of the mirror? Ask Alice how deep the rabbit hole really goes.

This blog is an extension of MY JOURNEY because sometimes my journey needs more explanation, and sometimes there is more to be said than can be expressed on one ordinary blog.

Sometimes it's politics (very serious), sometimes I address the human condition with a dose of humor, and other times it may seem as if the track is headed in a unique direction. I can be a complicated guy at times.

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* Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

* Sometimes the questions are complex but the answers are simple.

* Love is the only condition where the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

* Steers do not sign treaties with meat packers. (think on that)

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* The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no victory possible in defense.

WHITE POWDER (Novel)

There is something intoxicating about a secret.

THE OLD WHORE (NOVEL)

In the peculiar culture of the Central Intelligence Agency, "old whores" are people who will do whatever it takes to get the job done, irrespective of the cost.

EXILES FROM EDEN (NOVEL)

Sparks fly as two star-crossed lovers meet. He runs toward trouble as she yearns for something missing. And it ends in a flight from and toward justice.

About Me

Today, I balance work and play as much as anyone can. All things remaining equal, play is more important. Life is short - it's important to make every day count for something, if only to yourself.
I'm a former tinker/tailor/soldier/sailor who has now decided that maybe it really wasn't all done for nothing.

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